>>So back in the days of the Pilgrim Fathers they were talking about bringing the game into the 20th century? And being progressive they decided to subtely change the game from one of skill, and no contact, to one where two sets of men attack each other with such violence that they need to wear armour?
>>
>>There mustn't have been enough indians to fight! :-)
>
>Well, American football doesn't really date from the pilgrim fathers. It really dates more from the early 1900's...
The pilgrim fathers, being just staid old British non-progressives, left the game the way it was...

So what happened to the game of footie in the intervening years? You said "we already had football", meaning gridiron. Now you're contradicting yourself.

>...It wasn't until the early 1900's that people really started to get tired of the same old 'kick the ball, run around a bit, ...

fall down and roll around holding your head or privates for 10 minutes, make a miraculous recovery, jump back up and start all over again'.

That part of the game was invented on mainland Europe and S. America, in the late 20th century :-)